How we’ve acted on your feedback in 2023 & what’s in store for 2024

[vintagewatchpart]

Just finished watching the video, will keep this fairly simple, I am sure many of you will have comments...

At around 1 Minute:

"my management team and I are already looking at what we can do in 2024 to remove more barriers, advocate for your interests and give you access to more information to help you keep growing"

I've got a great idea, you don't need a management team at all. Just read these message boards.

Stop putting up barriers in the first place then perhaps there would be none to remove?

You are just so out of touch with what everyone things, says and feels it is unbelievable. Look at the YouTube comments on the video after a few minutes.  

If you really care EBay, then reply and engage properly with some of the comments and evidence based issue reporting people are leaving on here.

[btr.style]

'I'm not sure it is quite as uneven as we suspect.'

In our case then. 

I used to go to various trade auctions. Buying much liquidated stock. 

We had around 20 pallets of M&S and other clothing items. We had men's lambswool jumpers at an RRP of £35. We got them for £3.72 each. At said auction were private account business sellers who also snapped up many pallets. 

We had to list ours for £19.99 each. With their fee promo they sold theirs undercutting us by a few £'s but making more money. Looking at this, they sold all of theirs way before we did because their price was lower. 

At said trade auction I also head several people saying they hope it's eBay's private fee promo the following weekend so they can clear them. 

The only saving grace for me is because of these flouters, I went down the route of vintage clothing. With our huge capital I've secured an exclusive supply line in the USA for rare vintage clothing items. A bit less profit than new items, a bit more hassle but gets me away from the private account business sellers. 

[btr.style]

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@bravergrace wrote:

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@ojewellery wrote:

I had hoped that the Wednesday chats could be a bit more constructive in this area but they appear to have become very cut and paste, as so many people say.  I have ocassionally been on, but felt patronised by responses. 

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Have you noticed that although most of the answers in the Wednesday chats are cut-and-paste, eBay staff strenuously object to being asked cut-and-paste questions?  

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My stance on those 'staff' members is the chat should end and be boycotted. 

They do nothing whatsoever to help anyone and simply have a little tag on their username to make them seem important. 

They have as much bearing on eBay operations as a paper bag in the wind and either can't or won't push for any change. It's a fabricated guise for a few people who may well be sitting in the forum department but have no bearing on anything. Yet people are lead to believe they are nothing to do with eBay's central HQ. 

We might as well have some barge boat owner to try and take messages for Rosie and Jim, even though they've never met them, don't know who they are and have no way to contact them. That 'barge boat owner' badge just makes them look like they have some sort of connection when they don't. 

[btr.style]

'There has to be more to why it doesn't sort the private/business seller issue.'

The reason is obvious. Let's sit down and I'll read the story of eBay...ready? Then let's begin (sorry, not being patronising but it seemed a funny line to add). 

There once was.... Actually scrap that. 

Once eBay had a fair divide. Private sellers selling junk. Business sellers selling for business. eBay wanted more people selling junk/old goods so allocated a fee promo. As time went on, more and more business sellers joined as as eBay made/had no regulation of the rules, the law even, plenty of people thought 'heck, a free promo every 2 weeks and lower fees or a business account with no fee promos and higher fees'.... 'sod the law and consumer rights, private account it is, more money aferall'. 

Good old eBay, don't or won't act until legal action have then turned a blind eye. They can't back down on said fee promo because private accounts expect it (They'd leave in huge numbers if it stopped). Equally they don't want possibly 1000's of sellers going elsewhere by forcing them onto a business account. 

So eBay will just turn a blind eye until forced to otherwise and if that happens it will be the whole 'oh, sorry guv, we didn't realise' then they act. Even though no doubt they have 1000's of reports each day of this (which no doubt has been set so as soon as it comes in, it instantly goes to a windows 95 recycle bin, never to be viewed or acted upon). 

It's a bummer for us as thanks to eBay, I just want to have as much money as possible to retire and shut the business down. Due to business seller fees, it will take an extra year or 2 (probably 5 years time). Annoying when I want to just sit in my pool, have half the house as a dumping ground for excess stock and can't sell the warehouse until the goal is met. Bah humbug. 

[iew-signed-books]

That is almost exactly what certain charity shops do - they get their stock for free along with a special deal on rates and rents. And, as one charity did intentionally in the West Country, it opened a charity bookshop very close to a long-established secondhand bookseller and promptly put them out of business.

[leadhills_scot]

I seem to remember a few years back one of the ebay employees stating that it was perfectly fine for a business to trade on ebay as a private seller. This was before the forum changed and during one of the then infrequent chats.

For myself I really can't be bothered to report unregistered businesses, although I do kept a list of those selling the same/similar to me, especially those with thousands of listings.

Never watch videos so have no idea what was said. Got fed up with seeing her picture so blocked it with my ad blocker.

[sheba-knows-best]

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@btr.style wrote:

'I'm not sure it is quite as uneven as we suspect.'

In our case then. 

I used to go to various trade auctions. Buying much liquidated stock. 

We had around 20 pallets of M&S and other clothing items. We had men's lambswool jumpers at an RRP of £35. We got them for £3.72 each. At said auction were private account business sellers who also snapped up many pallets. 

We had to list ours for £19.99 each. With their fee promo they sold theirs undercutting us by a few £'s but making more money. Looking at this, they sold all of theirs way before we did because their price was lower. 

At said trade auction I also head several people saying they hope it's eBay's private fee promo the following weekend so they can clear them. 

The only saving grace for me is because of these flouters, I went down the route of vintage clothing. With our huge capital I've secured an exclusive supply line in the USA for rare vintage clothing items. A bit less profit than new items, a bit more hassle but gets me away from the private account business sellers. 

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I do hear you. And I'm not offering proof of whatis happening at ebay towers... just trying to get people to ask the question "why is ebay allowing it to continue?" Because it IS odd, isn't it? That Greedbay, the arch capitalist, the fee grabber is sitting back and allowing private sellers to shaft it of fees. I stand by my guns. If it stopped the 80% offers, people would notice, and desert ship, so it doesn't (because private sellers usually come up with the good for its USP "you can find anything on ebay") ... it does stealth fees. Just like it does with us. So yeah, you're right, I know private sellers sitting around waiting for the promos too - but while they're thinking about promos, they're not focusing on the PL fees at 15% without which they cant sell (whereas the private sellers with the amazing 'one off items' don't need the PL at 15%). Maybe. Something has to be be going on in my view....

As to the private sellers who sold out before you (and you put it down to a lower price)... maybe that was down to not paying tax... and Mr taxman is coming after them in the spring.

Like I say, just surmising...  

[sheba-knows-best]

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@btr.style wrote:

Bah humbug. 

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Sorry. I answered the other post before reading this. I completely agree with your potted history.

Although I think you missed out the fact that previously ebay forced people to become business sellers (like me) and then stopped bothering. Not sure why.  (And this is why I have some sympathy with the private sellers, would I have 'swapped over' unless forced to? Don't ask.)

We even came up with the same reason it can't get rid of promos: because private sellers would leave in droves, which it can't risk.

We just have a different opinion of ebay. You think it is too thick to get fees out of private sellers, whereas I think it is wily - and it is using PL fees which are not discounted like FVFs. Clever huh? All the private sellers are running around - most not paying tax, most not running proper accounts, so not keeping an eye on profits like we do - shouting about 80% off fees and might not even know that PL fees are not discounted.

I may be wrong... but am I the only one who sees this is as a clever plot?  Allow the private sellers to use PL and bingo! - they will pay what they can to sell just like the business sellers... (and we can keep sending them the promos, snigger).

[returns_andexdisplay]

When ever Shopify have invited me to a focus group or feedback session they have always compensated me with things like couple of months free shop fees. ebay when part of any group nothing. 

[returns_andexdisplay]

Regarding the sellers that offer poor service, ebay don't want to tackle the problem. I compete against many sellers who celarly run mutiple private accounts that are clearly a business. But ebay don't want to tackle the problem. These sellers have no business contact information, no buyer remorse returns, get offers for lower final value fees. All whilst being able to undercut business 

[returns_andexdisplay]

I have lost count of the amount of emails from ebay this year offering different promotions for Ad promotions. At one point was getting regular phone calls offering "account health check" which was baiscly have you considered promoted listings. When showed no interest in promoted listings the phone call soon ended as it would not help towards the account manager bonus. 

[simplyessential_uk]

Yes this is a worrying trend imo with Ebay, to purposely target those not paying promos means this is clearly a revenue avenue they wish to "exploit" however the problem is not everyone can be at the top of rankings, not everyone can get page 1 of Google shopping etc ergo pushing up the more ppl will pay to obtain those top slots. Its very short sighted to think sellers will spend more for sales and take less profit and inevitably sellers will increase their prices, making Ebay less attractive for buyers.  As I said I wont pay more than 2%, my profit margins are tight and Id rather pay 15% fvf with Amazon  (but sell far more) than play that game.

[iew-signed-books]

Wish my ad blocker worked on my ancient PC 🙂

[the_book_seekers]

I've had to sit all year with an ad promo as a banner in my seller hub and which I had/have no intention of taking up and it still has about a week to run. I've also had other promos offering various flavours of promos, the last being an offer on paying for off-site ads. Add to that the regular messages to offer fast & free postage. 

As regards private/business sellers, I recently spotted a book I've been after for sometime from another seller which was in decent condition at a reasonable price. I then noticed no returns and had a look at his other listings. He had nearly a thousand listed with several thousand sold and was clearly a private/business seller. While I would have liked the book I wasn't going to be a hypocrite and buy from him despite him sending an offer further reducing the price. 

[btr.style]

Oh yes. The annoyance of the promos of no interest. Every time I login it shows that 50% off promoted ads banner. I have to click next/continue or whatever to get it gone. Why isn't there a don't show this again tick box?

Then theres the email every week saying something like improve your listing to help your items sell. What's the point of it? It's not targeted to me, just some generic email. Do eBay class that as helping businesses or something?

They need to sort the returns process too. I know people will misuse the system but eBay says to report them and possibly get a postage credit. Our INAD's are almost always the buyers fault (I can't remember the last time it was ours, maybe one time last year). Yet even when it is clear cut, nothing is credited. 

[bravergrace]

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@iew-signed-books wrote:

That is almost exactly what certain charity shops do - they get their stock for free along with a special deal on rates and rents. And, as one charity did intentionally in the West Country, it opened a charity bookshop very close to a long-established secondhand bookseller and promptly put them out of business.

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But charity shops are still businesses.   

Statutory rights still apply.  They don't (or at least, the respectable charities don't) put up notices saying they aren't businesses and consumer rights don't apply.  

[iew-signed-books]

I realize that - but to open up a charity bookshop so close to a long established secondhand bookseller when you get your stock for free and special rates is vile. They knew full well that they would put the other shop out of business as rumours had been flying about for a long time. They specifically chose that location.

[dwtrading2015]

Never ever answer an email and log in to eBay through an email.  It is a scam to a fake site grabing your login details.  It is now the same with practically every email.  If you get an offer for free adds, check account details, correct data, update location or anything, always go to the official site and check it is real.  I get routine free listing promos from eBay, go to the eBay site and they don't actually exist.

Be very careful, this is now endemic with virtually every business on line.

[dwtrading2015]

All sellers are technically businesses legally, and if the gross profit is over £1000 then it has to be declared.  eBay offers a classification as a business which is actually a set of insurance policies.  Distance selling law applies to all sales.  Its just that eBay stimulates settling the dispute rather than a buyer having to go to court.  eBay 'business' sellers pay a fee for the settlement service, except the settlement these days almost always goes in favour of the buyer at seller expense.  So 'businesses' simply stop paying the fee.  eBay no longer offers any protection.  Buyers can still apply consumer rights via distance selling, card payment and PayPal payment recall, and do regularly.  I call it online shoplifting.

[bittyboy101]

If eBay had teken the blind bit of notice and acted on our feedback...

WE WOULD ALL BE MAKING REGULAR SALES - THUS - WE WOULD NOT BE HERE !

It is obvious that any feedback we provide to eBay goes in one ear and out of the other...  Say no more !

[dwtrading2015]

eBay don't have ears in the first place, that is the problem!